From director Christopher Nolan, who gave us 2000's most intelligent
thriller Memento, comes Insomnia,
a remake of a critically acclaimed 1997 Norwegian film of the
same name by Erik Skjoldbjærg and Nikolaj Frobenius. In
fact, it was so widely lauded, one wonders...why bother making
another version? As with any other question in the movie industry
that begins with the word "why," the answer is the same:
Money. With a script updated to appeal to the American audience
by newcomer Hillary Seitz, Nolan's insightful direction, and onscreen
talent like Al Pacino, Hilary Swank, and Robin Williams, this
new version attempts to mine the material for the highest possible
dollar return. And while it may be little more than an Americanized
knock-off of Skjoldbjærg's film, it will no doubt pull in
more bucks.

Don't get me wrong. This is a taut, well-crafted film, and
it perpetuates Nolan's reputation for interesting directing choices
and also showcases some nice camera work by cinematographer Wally
Pfister. Basically recounting the exact story from the Norwegian
film, Insomnia centers around a once-great cop who has
come under investigation for some questionable behavior, and is
sent to a remote northern outpost where the sun never sets. In
this version, that cop is L.A. investigator Will Dormer (Pacino),
whose legendary status precedes him in Nightmute, Alaska, where
he and his partner Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) are assigned to
help with a local murder case. In fact, the local cop on the case,
Ellie Burr (Swank), practically gushes over Will when she meets
him. "I've read all your books," she says. But there
is an undercurrent of tension between the two partners, since
Hap's intention to cooperate with the L.A. investigation may bring
Will's whole career under scrutiny.

The Nightmute case involves a teenage girl who was brutally
beaten and left dead at the city landfill, but the killer had
not just dumped her bloody corpse in haste. Taking time and care,
he had lovingly cleaned her up, washed her hair, and trimmed her
nails, removing any trace of forensic evidence. "This guy
crossed the line," Dormer says. But things begin to go awry
when the team tries to catch the killer on a foggy day. Thinking
he has the suspect in his sights, Will fires, accidentally killing
his partner. Their estrangement over the pending investigation
might lead some to believe he did it on purpose, but no one saw...except
the murder suspect (Williams). Then, during a sleepless, sunlit
night, Will gets a phone call from the man, who wants to strike
a deal. If Will agrees to point the investigation away from him,
he will stay quiet about what he saw. As the investigation goes
on, Will's lack of sleep begins to affect his perception and judgment,
while the ever-present sun seems to cast a constant light on his
guilt and Ellie comes closer and closer to discovering the truth.

From what I hear about it, I'm sorry to have missed the 1997
version of this film, but this one is certainly adequate. Pacino
gives one of the best performances I've seen him in; his sense
of sleeplessness is infectuous, weighing down the entire proceeding
with a kind of relentless fatigue. This isn't an easy characterization;
he must be the hero and yet be capable of evil, always on the
fence of morality, never showing in which direction he'll fall.
Meanwhile, Swank is superb in a much less fulfilling role, solidly
proving that her Oscar for Boys
Don't Cry was no accident, and Williams is surprisingly
low-key and believable as the killer. This film may not keep you
up at night, but it certainly shines a light on the talent of
its participants. ****½